Chapter XII · Chapter 12

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

protected by armor (used of persons or things military)

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

plural of “barnacle” — marine crustaceans with feathery food-catching appendages; free-swimming as larvae; as adults form a hard shell and live attached to submerged surfaces

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

damaged by blows or hard usage

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

past form of “buckle” — fasten with a buckle or buckles

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

having or resembling a claw or claws; often used as a combining form

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

a slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

separate with or as if with an instrument

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

plural of “cut” — a share of the profits

From this reading He had heard the whistle of the invisible scythe that cuts men down.

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading MacRae was no stranger to death.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading He had heard the whistle of the invisible scythe that cuts men down.

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

plural of “form” — the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

From this reading He had seen it in many terrible forms.

shoot down, of birds

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

the activity of transporting goods by truck

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading He had heard the whistle of the invisible scythe that cuts men down.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

impossible or nearly impossible to see; imperceptible by the eye

From this reading He had heard the whistle of the invisible scythe that cuts men down.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

plural of “knife” — edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

plural of “ledge” — a projecting ridge on a mountain or submerged under water

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

staying power

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading He had seen it in many terrible forms.

the force of workers available

From this reading He had heard the whistle of the invisible scythe that cuts men down.

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

tiny leafy-stemmed flowerless plants

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

not any; not one

From this reading MacRae was no stranger to death.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

above and across; more than

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

an artifact designed to be played with

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

plural of “rock” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

an edge tool for cutting grass; has a long handle that must be held with both hands and a curved blade that moves parallel to the ground

From this reading He had heard the whistle of the invisible scythe that cuts men down.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading He had seen it in many terrible forms.

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found

From this reading MacRae was no stranger to death.

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading He had seen it in many terrible forms.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

plural of “tide” — the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading MacRae was no stranger to death.

a track or mark left by something that has passed

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

close enough to be walked to

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading MacRae was no stranger to death.

abounding with or resembling weeds

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

at the time that

From this reading Between Sun and Sun Walking when he could, crawling on hands and knees when his legs buckled under him, MacRae left a blood-sprinkled trail over grass and moss and fallen leaves.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.

make whistling sounds

From this reading He had heard the whistle of the invisible scythe that cuts men down.

in the company of; together with

From this reading He lived over and over that few minutes which had seemed so long, in which he had been battered against broken rocks, in which he had clawed over weedy ledges armored with barnacles that cut like knives, hauling Steve Ferrara's body with him so that it should not become the plaything of the tides.